"What is parabola again?"

"Hmm, do you have a graph notebook?"

Jackson told me to come over for a little study date after Rydel had left, along with Ross a few minutes after. Being the nerdy me, I immediately accepted, grabbed my maths books and went to his place, glad to spend time with him since he isn't going to be at school tomorrow.

For the first time in a while, I felt my future was going to be finally sorted out. I have Jackson, I have my father and Rydel, but most importantly I had Ross. Talking about Jackson in that way was off of me to overcome...for all I knew, I couldn't possibly think that my first relationship would be a perfect one, that's never how lucky my life is.

But that's my problem, pessimism. I never oversaw my future properly. I only survived but I never lived.

All I currently tried to do was enjoy having good company, doing something I love with a person I like.

I smiled at Jackson's question, taking the notebook from his hands and started drawing the coordinates plan with him behind me, watching closely.

"We could have a simple equation first, such as x-1," I paused, drawing a small table.

I've never tried to tutor anyone before, or even have a study buddy, but I knew studying with Jackson would be a new kind of fun. "And we would substitute x with -3,-2, -1, 0, 1, 2 and 3, and the y, or f(x) would be the solution to the equation and so we will place them on the graph, connect the dots of the coordinates and voila, you have a parabola."

I turned to him, beaming widely to find his gaze glued to me. His eyes were mesmerizing, ice blue and very dreamy. His thick eyelashes were no where near fair with mine, and his pink lips were perfectly carved and kissable.

It was the first time I had ever considered a boy beautiful.

"You're too hot for a nerd," he mumbled making me giggle lightly, pushing my glasses upwards to turn on my back. His eyes checked me out, slightly narrowing as he passed by every inch.

I had to admit I was doomed with his stares, maybe even slightly uncomfortable, but a huge part of me loved how he admired me.

"You're too beautiful for a dork."

"But I'm your dork," his serious features lit up in a winking grin and I fell completely backwards, chuckling.

It held back everything in me to not test his lips on mine again... I was determined to have at least a peck just to feel how they land on me. To test the waters with his lips just once more. To be madly dedicated to his kisses.

And just as if he was reading my thoughts, his lips landed on me.

I furrowed my eyebrows slightly at the not very new feeling and kissed him skillfully. I was pouring my feelings through my lips, expecting a spark from his, but it sadly hit me that my feeling can't change anybody else's.

My lips fit perfectly with him, almost as if they were made to be planted on each other, just the way my body felt peace in his arms.

I was greedy to want more and I knew that too well...

His lips had trailed wet kisses down my neck as his hand on my waist started to lower to my discomfort. I internally panicked and felt my entire body shiver. The peace I found in him slowly slipped into fear, one that made my hands slightly touch his chest to push away softly.

"Jackson," I croaked out, letting his eyes meet my worried, bright hazel ones. They were far from from holding the darkness of lust.

"Is everything alright?"

His eyebrows raised in bewilderment and I instantly felt a decent amount of guilt and regret washing over me.

"I-I'm sorry, Jackson. I'm not ready to go further."

"But I wasn't-"

"I know," I bit my lip, cutting him off as he got off me to lay on his side. "I just- I'm sorry. I want to take things slower."

His confused face expressions came crashing to my mind with explanation. Jackson wasn't a guy to have a girl ask him to stop...Jackson had girls lined up for him, craving him, dreaming about full attention from him.

I saw disappointment in his eyes yet his lips cracked a small smile, leaning in to kiss my forehead.

But I had already seen what I've seen, shining bright in his vulnerable eyes.

*************************

"Daddy?" I whispered, standing in front of my father's bedroom, hugging my pillow.

I couldn't cope sleeping alone tonight, not after what happened last night.

Laying in my bed creeped my guts out and I sensed how haunted the damned room was.

I had no choice other than sleeping beside dad.

His sleepy body shifted to look at me, and I slowly steeped in closer. "Yes baby? Is something wrong?"

"I-I...can I sleep beside you?"

He smiled, opening his arms and I quickly jogged to his bed and took his embrace. "Are you alright princess?"

I couldn't bring myself to tell him anything about my state. My heart would start swelling with sadness and I'll end up crying hysterically. On top of that, my father's worry would increase and I'll be doomed in between guilt and fear.

"I'm just a little scared...last night I had a nightmare...that's all," I mumbled as he pulled the comforter over my body. I just wanted every ounce of worry to travel away...even if it took me acting as a toddler.

I just wanted safety.

"Don't you worry, princess," he took me on his embrace and I mentally relaxed, finding myself easy to drift away to sleep. "So, how was your day?"

"It was okay. I don't receive any bullying from Tanya and Ted anymore," I chuckled lightly but failed at smiling once I remembered their rocky stage. "Although that's only because their relationship is not very healthy right now."

"You can look on the bright side, maybe they came to their senses."

"Whatever the reason is," I paused, yawning before nuzzling into the pillow again, "it's good that I have some peace now."

I knew that peace would someday end, but I also was very ready for anything and everything. My past experiences really do come in handy.

"I'm glad you're alright, baby," he mumbled, his eyes closed as I laid on my back, staring at the lightly shimmering ceiling, full of tiny led lights, "I hope Rydel makes you even happier."

"She already made me very very happy," I smiled lightly before feeling my eyes get heavier and heavier, drifting into deep slumber.

But it didn't feel like one when I woke up the next morning feeling nothing but grumpiness.

And the grumpiness explained itself from what I've faced at school that day. Loneliness, fear, confusion.

I was lonely because, well, I'm lonely... and Jackson was busy, home studying for a big test. Afraid because of Tanya giving me threatening grimaces and glares throughout the entire day and "accidentally" pushing me around, tripping me, etc.

Confused because Ted wasn't here.

I couldn't simply hold my pieces after watching him cry the other day, blaming Jackson for a fight with his bitch then disappearing the day after, leaving his cruel, spiteful psychopath at school giving me death glares.

"Lia," I spun to watch my English teacher with crossed arms, looking down at my notebook, to find only two sentences. "Care to answer my question?"

"I, uh-" I stumbled on my words before hearing a whisper behind me.

"Caesar's death."

"Gaius Cassius Longinus, Decimus Junius Brutus, and Marcus Junius Brutus stabbed him to death somewhere near the Theatre of Pompey on March 15, 44 BCE," I blushed madly, fully embarrassed and partly thankful for the simple whisper.

Our English class reader was about Julius Caesar, a character my father had recited to me a thousand times and I enjoyed it.

I waited for the teacher's order, desperately aching for a rest on the chair. My legs were about to give in as he stared, obviously pissed at me until the bell rang, and every student rushed out the door.

"As much as I know how hard you work, dazing off is nothing but a con even if you knew the lesson."

Dazing off was nothing but a way that granted me loneliness and I knew that lesson.

"Hi," I heard a feminine voice beside me, making me turn to meet with a new brunette, "I'm uh, the whisperer..?"

I smiled, shaking her hand nervously. "Th-thank you. I'm Lia."

"Andrea," she released her hands to push her big, metal, circular glasses back. "I'm new here....In town."

"I would've, uhm," I coughed as we walked out the door to the empty hallway, "given you a tour but that's already too late considering that was the last period."

"It's okay," she waved off, smiling making her bangs cover her emerald eyes. "We could do that some other time. Is it okay if I have your number? You're kind of the only person I felt comfortable talking to."

Sun during rain. That's what Andrea was to me.

And once we separated when she got into her parents' car, clouds bloomed over at what I was planning on doing.

I'm going to regret this as soon as I get to his house.

And my thoughts were right.

Here I was, standing right in front of my bully's door, contemplating my decision, wanting to vanish and never come back again.

But that wasn't an option when I rang the doorbell to be face to face with my school principal.

"Lia? What're you-"

"Hi Ms Karen," I shakily breathed out my words, feeling my palms wet immediately. "Is Ted here?"

She looked at me confused before nodding, pointing upstairs, "yeah he's upstairs in his room, is there-"

I cut her off, entering the house to rush upstairs, glancing at her to apologize. But rich people don't care if random students enter their houses...and I knew my father was loaded but I never seemed to have prestige over that.

I knocked on the "do not enter" signed door to here a lazy groan indicating me to come in.

And I did. To meet a messy haired blonde whom was lazily on the bed with sad eyes. "The fuck are you doing here?!"

"I need explanation."

He sat up, inhaled deeply and motioning for me to sit on his desk's chair. "I can't believe you came to me for one. What do you use to think with nowadays? Your hot ass?"

I closed my eyes to take in a harsh breath before holding his shoulders angrily, "it's either you give me one, or I tell the entire school about your drama. Now," I calmed down, siting again as he looked at me frightened. "What exactly is happening between you and Tanya and what does it have to do with me and Jackson."

He ran a hand through his hair, clearing a way for his lazy eyes. "She broke up with me."

I nodded, waiting for him to go on. I couldn't believe my eyes, watching the sight of the once most popular school hunk, sad and weak over a breakup.

"Why did she breakup with you?"

"Why do you think she dated me?" He scoffed, clicking his tongue as I bit my lip in sorrow. I knew Tanya was as fake as a dildo.

"Because you're rich?"

"Other than that," he rolled his eyes as I stared at the duvet covering him. "Because you're popular?"

"Because I'm the captain of the lacrosse team, Lia," he snapped shaking his head in disappointment. "Well, I was."

I froze in realization...everything was once again going exactly the way I had assumed, because I've always been a fucked mess and happy moments to me only lead to huge disasters later on.

All I saw right now was something a lot more huge than just my relationship with Jackson..I saw my entire life in a plastic figure's hand, suffocating to death.

"So she broke up with you to get with Jackson?"

He nodded slowly, disappointment spreading through his eyes once again.

"She broke up with me because she thought I'm a loser," he chuckled sarcastically as I frowned in sorrow for him.

As much as I hated how I lived through hell because of him, I couldn't stay mad. Not when he received such betrayal from someone he never expected to be harmed by...because I knew exactly how that feels like.

"Well that's an awful excuse," I pursed my lips, looking at his glistening, broken eyes.

"I loved her. I've been in love with her for three years...I saw her as my future wife because I believed she loved me just as much as I did. I loved an unlovable personality more than I loved her sweet features. I thought maybe, just maybe, she'd be as loyal to me as I was to her....but once Jackson came into the living hell known as school, I lost her interest in me. And it hurts to let her go because I fell hard for her."

And he cried...he cried and sobbed and broke down too hard that I hugged him in comfort, feeling his tears on my shoulder, feeling his heart shatter in his hands. The once mistaken heartless creature now proved how big his heart was. "It's going to be okay, Ted," I soothed into his ear as he sniffed slowly, sobbing harder. "You're going to find a girl who loves you. A loyal girl just like you. It's not the end of the world ...it's the beginning of a better future."

"Why are you by my side?" I felt him pull away from the embrace to stare at me in disbelief with his teared eyes. "I've done nothing but cause harm to you..."

"I know you're a good person. You just weren't good to me."